The Hague, the Netherlands, June 13, 2013 - It does not happen every day you beat the world champions, so Daan Spijkers and Chris Varenhorst were pretty pleased with themselves after their 2-0 (21-12 21-14) win over Brazil’s Alison Cerutti and Emanuel Rego. The Dutch scratch team also earned a spot in the first elimination round on Friday.

Defence player Spijkers and Varenhorst, with 2,11 metres one of the tallest players on the Tour, were put together just a few days before the start of the Transavia The Hague Grand Slam. Varenhorst’s partner Jon Stiekema injured his foot in practice after he had just recovered from a broken finger.

“It went very well”, Spijkers said. “In our first match we had a lot of miscommunications. It’s different, with Emiel I used to play a different game. He was more dynamic then Chris.” Emiel Boersma used to be Spijkers’ partner but he decided to leave the World Tour this year. Spijkers has been playing with different partners since. In Corrientes he teamed up with Varenhorst as well, finishing ninth.

Struggling with the weather

Olympic silver medallists and World Cup winners Alison and Emanuel struggled with the weather conditions. They also lost their first match on Thursday against Austria’s Doppler and Horst, but with third place in the pool they will return on Friday in the first knockout round.

Spijkers: “These are difficult weather circumstances. You have to keep your cool and focus on the basic things. We are used to this kind of weather. No matter what, we always play, unless there’s thunder and lightning. Although I must confess, when it’s just practice we go indoor as well.”

Although the Brazilians did not play their best, the victory is good for his moral, Spijkers added. “It shows that there is always a chance. And if I want to win any medals in the future I will have to beat guys like this too.” Varenhorst: “Whether they play well or not, they are still the world champions.”